Reviews

Having loved the first two MBFGW movies, I was looking forward to this one. The only thing that came to mind after it was over, was what the heck happened? It was the most disjointed movie I've ever watched, like a bunch of scenes with characters I barely recognized just mashed together. The movie magic that touches you when you are able to identify with characters and their stories was absolutely non-existent. Also, where did I miss that Ian lost his father too? Was it the photos of Rodney and Gus at the beginning credits that was supposed to be the clue that both were gone? Even Aunt Voula wasn't as funny as she normally is, or was, in the first two movies. The entire film was just a mess.

As far as Hallmark movies, especially Christmas ones, go, this one checks all the boxes. And with an added bonus, a beautiful song performed by Kristin Chenoweth and her young co-star.

One of the story arcs - that little twist at the end when you learn that Danny is Chenoweth's biological son, that she gave up for adoption - didn't sit well with me, as an adopted child myself. While I don't normally care that these movies are works of fiction, this hit a little too closely. Chenoweth, also an adopted child, is an advocate, but she is among those who paint adoption rosy and magical. Sure, this movie touched on the biological mom and child reuniting, but as what happens with most movies that attempt to cover adoption, the story ends with "all is well." This happy conclusion feeds the very one-sided view of adoption that most people have, and that Chenoweth pushes. It doesn't begin to cover the pain and rejection so many adopted children experience when their attempts to meet their biological mother and/or father go south, and it happens more than you'd think.

All that said, this being a Hallmark movie, my expectations should not have been anything more than how the movie ended.

I normally love Sofia Coppola's work, but after her previous work with Bill Murray, this one fell WAY short. The movie didn't really have a conclusion, it just kind of ended once she learned she made a mistake thinking her husband was cheating on her. Anti-climatic. And absolutely NO chemistry with Rashida Jones and Marlon Wayons, they might as well have been roommates. Even Bill Murray seemed like he was just bored to be there. Oh there are a few, and I mean a few, funny parts but that was about it. Overall, I felt like it was an hour and half I'd never get back, wasted time on a movie that had a stellar director and stars.

I loved the movie, love most Hallmark movies but also like supernatural or sci-fi themes. The combination of the two coming together in this movie was a win. Madeline Arthur stole the show as Ruby, the sassy socialite determined to keep everyone out of her house. Julie Gonzalo's character is incredibly likable, and while she struggled with always having her father's approval, she's certainly not a doormat. And Chris McNally --- is there anything he can't do? I think the only thing that was somewhat not believable was how quickly Ruby seemed to pick up on 21st century inventions - a smart phone, a lap top, etc. She was on her way to turning Anna's open house into a party a little too easily. And why would Anna leave something so important in the hands of someone she just met, AND a ghost? But then, this is Hallmark and anything is possible. All that said, it's worth the watch, definitely entertaining and still with the element of romance that is Hallmark's trademark.

This movie spoke to me on a personal level, as a creative professional, both with Piper's sketching and Austin's writing. It was predictable, of course you knew they would end up collaborating together. The movie was moving along just fine until the culmination of Piper's dreams dashed. Bursting into a publisher's office and demanding she look at your work? Not realistic. Austin's declaration of telling the publisher he wouldn't let them publish his book(s) without Piper's illustrations should have come much earlier -- like when the publisher told him. As the author, he had absolute power -- it would have been a matter of negotiation between he and the publisher.

Loved the diversity slipped in with Will and Toby -- nicely done, they were a part of the story, rather than something shoved in there to check a box.

Overall, it's a fun watch, but the ending was a bit disappointing and rushed.

As another reviewer said, the Hallmark M&M series seems to do better in terms of acting range than just Hallmark Christmas movies. I watched this one late in the evening, and though I was pretty sleepy to begin with, it kept my attention until the end. With a somewhat predictable finish, getting to it was interesting and had some mystery and intrigue. I love Tyler Hynes, he plays characters well and seems to always have good chemistry with his leading ladies. I was unfamiliar with Holland Roden, had never watched her before -- she was impressive, not over the top but with enough range of emotion to make her character genuine and likeable. I also liked the fact that there was an element of romance for we "older" folks, (the Carter/Madelyn arc) not just the 20-somethings. Was it cheesy? Of course, only as Hallmark Christmas movies can be, but all a part of the charm or watching them during the season.

Incredibly disappointing. I love Lacey Chabert and the Hallmark movies she does, but this one was just horrible. Requirements of a homeowner's association for Christmas decorations was the central plot? One of the weakest attempts by Hallmark. The characters weren't believable in any way. I kept waiting for it to get better and it just didn't. I'm surprised Chabert even agreed to do it, or maybe it's part of her contract, but good lord, she deserved a better script! Oh and the "snow" used for the snowman parade was so obviously fake, as were a few of the snowmen that were obviously department store decorations! While I love Hallmark, I'm turning to other networks more and more for better-quality Christmas movies, even if they are cheesy at least they get you in the spirit of the season. This one? Not at all!

Hallmark movies are an escape for faithful viewers, lovely stories with predictable obstacles along the way but still happily ending, no big surprises. This one still followed that formula, but I felt it was a little more realistic than other Hallmark films in illustrating the messiness of life and love. The young widow, grieving the loss of her soldier husband, and feeling guilty about the escalation of a relationship with their mutual best friend before his death. Some reviewers felt it wasn't necessary and tarnished Erica's character, but to me it just showed that everyone is human. While her "official" relationship with Marc may not have seemed to add anything to the story, I thought it was necessary. Perhaps Erica didn't see, or didn't want to see that Marc really wasn't her "person." I think she believed that relationship was the expected path and timing for someone who had been widowed to move on. Still, her uncertainty first surfaced when she arrived home and her mother (who I thought was horribly miscast) asked about she and Marc buying a condo. There were other indicators ... him hiding in a closet to cover a work call, rushing back to Chicago ... it didn't seem like Erica was a priority for him. Combined with her spending more time with Nate it all added up to the realization that she didn't belong with Marc. No one is perfect when dealing with the impact of trauma (like losing a spouse), managing the complexity of emotions that comes with it, and how all of that translates to our actions. This movie and the actors, I felt, did a great job of telling that story. Other than Erica's mother, I thought the acting was genuine it wasn't forced or over the top, the actors were real -- I loved the fact that Scott wasn't the usual hunky male model type Hallmark uses, but just a regular and imperfect guy madly in love with his soon-to-be wife, it made him all the more endearing and likable. Overall, I hope Hallmark continues producing movies that are more like this one.

I love that Hallmark is actually shooting on locations featured in the movie, and this one did not disappoint. Cynthia Busby was wonderful as usual, this was my first view of Tyler Harlow, and while a little wooden at some points, overall I thought he did great. Getting a little more background on Yosemite's history was a treat, in addition to the beautiful views. I've only actually visited there once and it wasn't long enough to really get a sense of how enormous the park is. The only reason I gave it a nine was because it seemed like the wrap-up of the movie was rushed, but that seems to be a common occurrence among many Hallmark movies. It's an above average Hallmark movie, I'd highly recommend.

Aside from the scenery of Malta, which was beautiful, perhaps the best thing about this first attempt by Hallmark to feature a gay main character was that it wasn't overdone or shoved down the viewers' throats ... it was done very well. Henri and Julian's relationship was lovely, and wonderfully woven into the story, it didn't shout "look at us we're gay." Jeremy Jordan did a marvelous job in the dual role of Julian and Josh. He was great in playing each character, so much so, that the question popped into my head -- hmmm, I wonder if the actor in real life is gay or straight? Which just goes to show you that a straight person CAN play a gay character and vice verse if they are good at their art. I thought Jordan was fabulous and hope he is used in more Hallmark movies.

Now ... the plot(s) itself. We've seen all of them before, and in this case, there were too many things going on. What was the point of the Meg-and-her-father conflict? It was minimal and didn't really seem to do anything for the movie overall. I'm not a huge fan of Jessica Lowndes having seen her in other Hallmark movies, but in this one, her acting was even more stiff and unnatural. Also, Meg knew Julian was married and gay, wouldn't she have questioned why he seemed to be attracted to her?

I love when Hallmark films on location, it's an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of another pocket of the world.

That said, I found myself raising an eyebrow more than a few times at inconsistencies and some things that were just a bit hard to believe. A high-powered exec who's portrayed early on as very thorough and organized ... and she leaves her phone in a cab? Then she seems surprised that her hotel room reservation and conference registration were canceled. Hello? You were just let go from your company, do you think they wouldn't have cancelled those? My guess is those little realities were skipped over to emphasize what a bad day Tess was having, but it got a little silly when amid everything else going wrong, the hotel catches fire and suddenly it's only she and Carter who are without a hotel to go to.

I give it a five. The chemistry between Vanessa Marcil and James Denton is good but a bit rushed. The story was predictable (but then what Hallmark movie isn't?) But as others reviewers have said, it's a good escape.

Like most Hallmark movies, this follows the same formula, girl meets boy, they butt heads, then realize feelings for each other, a conflict brings them together, eventually ending in a happily ever after. Oh, and not without a former boyfriend/girlfriend throwing a monkey wrench into it all. It's predictable but still cute and relaxing to watch.

This one was a bit disappointing in the casting. Renee is beautiful, but her acting is pretty flat and not believable. Some poor writing contributed to that (why wasn't there more time spent on demonstrating her commitment to the island she loved?) - it seemed like her path to opposing the development and then speaking against it at a council meeting was rushed, and Tom's involvement to help her was passing out fliers? Her speech wasn't passionate or well thought out enough, in my opinion, to make me believe the council changed their minds so readily, even though you knew, of course, that was going to happen.

Chris McNally as Tom was great, have loved him in other Hallmark projects, especially in When Calls the Heart. It seemed like he always had to try and pick up the slack when Renee's acting fell flat. The chemistry between them was pretty good but not enough to make up for the rest of the movie's flaws.